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Dogs and Mushers Descend on North Bay for Annual Symposium

Sled Dog champion and cancer survivor Lance MacKey to highlight Ontario's
largest dog-powered sports symposium
NORTH BAY, ON, Sept. 15 /CNW/ - When it comes to a tough fight, winning
the longest sled dog race in the world is no match for what it takes to beat
cancer, said Lance Mackey, the 36-year-old musher and throat cancer survivor,
who on March 13, 2007 did something no other musher had done - get
back-to- back wins in the 1,100-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race and the 1,000-mile
Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race, and he accomplished this 2 years in a
row. Mackey will share his unprecedented accomplishments at the Ontario
Federation of Sleddog Sports Symposium September 20th at Zorba's Grill in
North Bay, in the heart on Ontario's Near North.
"This year's event will be the biggest mushing symposium ever held in
Ontario," says Laurie Ypya, executive director for Ontario's Near North. "The
event will put the second-toughest athlete in the world, as reported by Sports
Illustrated, in the same room as a local, world champion sprinter; the largest
Ontario-based dog-tour operator; and about 150 of the most passionate
dog-powered sports enthusiasts the sport has to offer," boasts Ypya.
As a precursor and unofficial start to the upcoming mushing season, the
annual symposium sees mushers and enthusiasts alike gather to exchange ideas
and training tips and set goals for the current season, as well as the future
of the sport in Ontario. The highlight of this years event is the caliber of
speakers: a wide range of renowned personalities from across North America
have been invited to speak, which will be complementary to the stacked panel
of experts from right here in Ontario.
The Ontario Federation of Sleddog Sports and Northern Ontario Sled Dog
Club have partnered up with Ontario Tourism, the City of North Bay and
Ontario's Dog Sled industry to bring this event to North Bay.